Irish Medicines Board responds to claims of illegal water fluoridation

The IMB has responded to criticism from VOICE (Voice of Irish Concern for the Environment) that it is in breach of legislation surrounding water fluoridation.

In a letter to the IMB, VOICE has asked the IMB to enforce the provisions of EU Council Directives and Irish legislation.

However, the IMB said it considers that neither drinking water itself nor the fluoride added to drinking water in the form of fluoride salts of silica fluoride should be categorised as medicinal products requiring marketing authorizations.

“The IMB have (sic) consulted with colleagues in other regulatory regimes and are not aware of any country that treats tap water as a medicinal product. The IMB considers that the fluoridation of drinking water should be seen as a measure more consistent with general public health management. Since fluoridation is provided for by… legislation, it is clearly not unlawful or in breach of EU regulations,” said a statement from the IMB.

The IMB also went on to say that the Supreme Court has addressed this matter in the case of Ryan – v – The Attorney General (1995) and stated that:

“The Court does not accept that the fluoridation of water is, or can be described as, the mass medication or mass administration of ‘drugs’ through water. It has already been pointed out that the fluoridation is a process by which an element which normally occurs in water is, in the case of a particular water supply, raised to a level of concentration at which it is found in wholesome water and that the fluoride ions thus are added are not different in nature, or action, from the fluoride ions occurring naturally in water.”